Delray Puts Triple Land Swap On Ballot

DELRAY BEACH — The City Commission said Tuesday that citizens should decide the fate of a planned downtown land swap between the public library, the city and the city's development agency.

The commission's unanimous vote put the issue on the March 13 municipal election ballot.

The referendum is necessary, city officials said, because a proposal to swap the city-owned land under the Delray Beach Public Library on Southeast Fourth Avenue would violate a 1936 restriction requiring the land be used solely for municipal purposes.

The proposal would give the library land to the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, which could use it for redevelopment. Only the approval of voters would lift the restriction on that land and permit it to be used for other purposes, officials said.

"Until the deed restriction is lifted, we're stymied," said John Callahan, the library director, referring to the library's expansion plans.

The swap would kick in if the library prevails in its negotiations to move to the corner of West Atlantic Avenue and Southwest Second Avenue on property owned by the redevelopment agency.

Then, the library would give its existing building on the city-owned land to the CRA, and the agency would transfer its West Atlantic Avenue land to the library. The redevelopment agency would then take control of the city-owned land under the library, and possibly market it to a developer.

In return -- although it isn't necessarily tied to the referendum -- the CRA would give the city a separate piece of land directly east of Old School Square on Northeast First Avenue, which is used for parking behind stores and restaurants on East Atlantic Avenue.

That step would allow Old School Square to expand onto the city property. The cultural center anticipates constructing a band shell, parking garage and a new building that could accommodate national traveling exhibits.

Leon Fooksman can be reached at lfooksman@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6647.